Top 25 First Basemen
2012 Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings – Top 25 First Basemen
Of course, Albert Pujols has the most value in our 2011 fantasy baseball player rankings but there are some surprises we have four our 1b rankings.
1. Albert Pujols .302 BA, 42 HR, 111 RBI – The best player in baseball had an “off” year last season– .299, 37 home runs, 99 RBIs and 105 runs. We all know he’s past his peak but lucky for his owners King Albert still has plenty left in the tank.
2. Miguel Cabrera .321 BA, 33 HR, 102 RBI – When you have 30 home runs and you were lacking in that area you know you’re doing something right. Cabrera will hit well above .300 get you 30-plus homers and more than 100 RBIs once again.
3. Adrian Gonzalez .313 BA, 29 HR, 108 RBI – He took advantage of the stacked lineup in Boston, peppering the Monster with doubles (45), hit a great average (.338) and put up gaudy run and RBI totals.
4. Joey Votto .311 BA, 28 HR, 102 RBI – He’s the last first baseman that will get you a great average while raking in the doubles, home runs, RBIs and runs. Expect MVP-like numbers from the 2010 National League MVP.
5. Prince Fielder .282 BA, 33 HR, 100 RBI – Fielder will bat alongside one of the greatest bats in the game. Stepping away from Miller Park may hurt him a little but he’s still going to bring the power to a very offensive lineup.
6. Mark Teixeira .255 BA, 36 HR, 105 RBI – He would be higher up on the list if it weren’t for his average. Expect great power numbers for this first baseman surrounded by talent.
7. Lance Berkman .284 BA, 27 HR, 91 RBI – With Albert gone Berkman will trade in his outfielders’ glove for a first baseman’s mitt. Expectations of him will be high but his numbers will definitely be worthy of a top 10 first baseman.
8. Freddie Freeman .284 BA, 25 HR, 82 RBI – The Braves’ top prospect will help you in every category except steals. With another year under his belt he should be well worth a mid-round pick.
9. Paul Konerko .292 BA, 25 HR, 85 RBI – He surprised a lot of people in 2010 and then surprised those same people again in 2011. He’ll be 36 in March but don’t expect that team keep his power numbers down.
10. Ryan Howard .240 BA, 32 HR, 84 RBI – After such a long rehab it’s hard to project a strong season in 2012 but it’s hard to forget about the Howard of just a few years ago. He’ll get you home runs and RBIs but don’t expect a lot of anything else.
11. Eric Hosmer .283 BA, 24 HR, 84 RBI – He’ll fill the stat sheet for you and he’s got a very good chance of finding himself into the top 10 a month or two into the season.
12. Kendrys Morales .280 BA, 22 HR, 80 RBI – He was the Angels’ best hitter in 2008 and in the beginning of 2009 but after missing last season it’s hard to predict the kind of season he’ll have. Keep an eye on him in the spring and go from there.
13. Gaby Sanchez .263 BA, 21 HR, 82 RBI – He was dynamite in the first half of 2011 but a rough backend put his numbers finished off almost identical to the previous season. Playing within a much improved lineup can only help him.
14. Ike Davis .277 BA, 20 HR, 73 RBI – Before an ankle injury took him out of the lineup, Davis was showing signs of improvement over his rookie season.
15. Brandon Belt .261 BA, 22 HR, 73 RBI – He was in and out of the lineup last season but this Giraffe should be good to go once he starts games consistently.
16. Carlos Pena .244 BA, 27 HR, 75 RBI – Pena will flirt with 30+ homers and threaten 80+ RBI while he is drain to your batting average.
17. Mark Trumbo .255 BA, 25 HR, 71 RBI – He may not get a full serving of bats but he has the potential to make an impact on a team that just brought him up.
18. Brandon Allen .244 BA, 24 HR, 62 RBI – He struggled last year in his first season in Oakland but if he can reduce his strikeout totals, his plus-power and patience could help him help you.
19. Adam Lind .254 BA, 26 HR, 59 RBI – He’s a useful third-tier first baseman that offers you some power but not much of anything else.
20. Mitch Moreland .250 BA, 20 HR, 53 RBI – First base is the one spot in Texas that is weak and Moreland may be out of the picture if he doesn’t show them what he hasn’t showed them.
Honorable Mentions for 1B – Justin Morneau, Derrek Lee, Justin Smoak, Todd Helton, Aubrey Huff, Anthony Rizzo
